Who is Tulayev from The Case of Comrade Tulayev and what is their importance?

Comrade Tulayev is a stout man with a thick down-turning mustache and full cheeks. He is a clumsy man who has occasional bouts of drinking, and he is very loyal to the Party. Tulayev has a broad, flat nose. He is a high ranking member of the Central Committee, and his murder is the central event of the book. Tulayev is barely remembered by the general population after his death, but his death causes a chain reaction of arrests and accusations that affect the lives of hundreds of people.